INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The WISH-TV newsroom is a family, and like most families, when one of our members does something special, we celebrate, even when that family member is our boss.

“Umpiring is my escape,” said WISH-TV News Director Brady Gibson

Brady is our news director here at WISH-TV. Away from work, Brady, a father of two college students, spends a lot of his time at Grand Park, umpiring some of the central Indiana’s biggest baseball games.

“I love baseball, and this is a way to still be a part of it.” Gibson said.

And he’s really good at it too. So good that he was one of only a handful of umpires chosen to ump Prep Baseball Report’s High School All-American game in Miami, Florida.

“It was an amazing experience,” Gibson said. “United Umpires and Prep Baseball Report took great care of us, and let us be around some amazing athletes that we’ll all get to see on the biggest of athletic stages in the next several years.”

The game was played at LoanDepot Park, home of MLB’s Miami Marlins.

“The biggest part about the weekend for me: My son, who just started college in Florida, got to take the train down and watch the game in person,” Gibson said. “My dad was able to watch the live stream at their home in Kentucky.  My son and dad got to watch me umpire a baseball game with amazing athletes on a Major League Baseball field. It doesn’t get much better than that.”

Brady is more than a manager, he’s a fantastic journalist, a mentor to many in our newsroom and one of the hardest workers I’ve worked alongside in my 20-year career in television news. He got back into umpiring about six years ago.

“During any game, no one can reach you about time off or stories or anything else,” Gibson said. “All you have to focus on is the game in front of you and not getting hit in the face.”

Umpiring is an escape from the daily news grind for Brady, but it’s also a passion.

“We work with such a great group of people with Grand Park and United Umpires who make it such fun to work games every week, even in the hottest of Indiana summer days.” Brady said “The kids are great. We have amazing conversations with them before and during games.  They’re phenomenal.”

As a dad to a youth baseball player myself, I can honestly say that amateur baseball needs more umps. More people like Brady Gibson. A lot of television newsrooms could use some too.

Congrats, Brady. Your WISH-TV family is proud of you.